Common Dreams – by Sarah Lazare
In what is believed to be Israel’s first drone strike in Egypt’s borders, Israeli Air Force drones fired missiles on Egypt’s Sinai peninsula Friday, killing at least five people, Egyptian authorities report.
Israel reportedly collaborated with Egyptian military and intelligence on the attack, as Egyptian military and police forces escalate deadly attacks in the Sinai.
Egyptian officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity,claimed that the people killed were suspected militants, but these reports could not be verified.
Israel’s military has so far refused to acknowledge the attack, though one anonymous Israeli source told Haaretz, “We are aware of increased activity of the Egyptian military against terrorism across Sinai.”
The bombings follow a statement earlier this week from Egyptian military spokesman Ahmed Ali that, since July 5, the military and police have ‘cracked down’ on alleged “terrorists and jihadists” in Sinai, leaving at least 124 people dead or injured and destroying at least 102 tunnels connecting Egypt to Gaza.
The Egyptian military attacks accompany an aggressive Israeli military buildup. Last month, the Israeli government announced it had installed rocket launchers and military helicopters in the Sinai Peninsula, in keeping with what Israel says is allowed by its peace treaty with Egypt.
Critics charge that unfounded claims of terrorist targets have long been used by the Israeli and Egyptian governments to justify military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula and impose collective punishment on nearby Gaza.
The Israeli government has heavily lobbied the U.S. to continue military aid to Egypt, despite U.S. laws prohibiting aid for military coups.
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Now you know why O’Buma closed all embassies across the middle east and sent Americans home. It has started. What has started is this. U.S. and Israeli drones and warplanes and submarine launched cruise missile strikes are all underway. The Israeli submarine missile strike looked like 4 kilotons on you tube video that hit Syria 3 days before evacuating the embassies. Drone strikes in Yemen. Drone strikes in Pakistan. Drone strikes now in Egypt. The West is “egging on” the Arabs to do something. The west is provoking, slapping, pinching and striking the Arabs to respond in some way. When they do the bought and paid for media will pick up on it Big Time. It’s all you will hear, what the Arabs have done. Most likely some sort of air strike or a scud type missile. But it will be totally blown out of proportion by our media, then ….the war is on. We have permission to retaliate.